Q: My grandma has had a problem with her tomatoes getting black spots and rotting a day after they are picked. Most of the tomatoes can't be eaten. She said she is rotating the plants. She also grows pepper plants. They are always good. She doesn't water with a hose or sprinkler. She uses a bucket and waters with a pan, so there is no splashing. (Springfield, Ohio)

A: It sounds like your grandma is using seed she saved from the previous year. If so, she should purchase fresh seed each year because many diseases can be carried over in the seed of infected tomatoes. If that isn't the case, then tell her to get hybrid tomatoes with the letters VFHNT after their names. These are tomatoes bred for resistance to the most common bacterial, fungal and virus diseases.

Q: I had someone in the office with a garden supply catalog that sold red-colored tomato accessories, such as red wall-o-waters, red root zone waterers and red mulch. Is there any research about the successful use of these red products or is it advertising hype? (Ward County, N.D.)

A: Research years ago using red plastic mulch under tomato plants reported an increase in production. We tried to duplicate that at the Dickinson Research Extension Center, but did not find that to be true. There is probably a nugget or two of truth, but I would say the hype outweighs the truth somewhat. The successful research used red plastic mulch and drip irrigation, but nothing else.

Q: I want to start a greenhouse business growing
hothouse tomatoes for local supermarkets. I am a smoker and have heard that
greenhouse tomato plants will be subject to more disease problems because I
smoke. I have grown tomatoes in my outdoor garden with no apparent problems. Why
would the situation change if I were growing them in a greenhouse environment?
(e-mail reference)

A: The big answer is that it is in a greenhouse
environment. In attempting to control the factors of growth, such as heat, light
and nutrients, we also are creating an artificial environment that removes some
of the checks and balances that Mother Nature throws into the mix. The big
problem with smoking (as far as tomato plants are concerned) is that many
tobacco leaves are carriers of tobacco mosaic and spotted wilt virus. Both
diseases can be very destructive to a greenhouse tomato crop. The chance of you
giving up smoking is probably remote, so if you persist in this habit and in
your desire to grow greenhouse tomatoes, be sure to follow the best sanitation
procedures possible. Wear a lab coat to cover your clothing and thoroughly wash
your hands before going into the greenhouse to handle the plants.

Q: I have thousands of
tiny, white gnats flying around my tomatoes and other plants when I water. I
used a Black Flag bomb, but it didn’t work. It doesn't appear that they are
bothering anything, but I have noticed that my tomatoes are not setting fruit.
What should I do? Thanks for all the info you have been sending everyone’s way.
(Valley City, N.D.)

A: This is a white fly
infestation, which is somewhat unusual for outdoor tomatoes. They are a
curse in greenhouse plantings because they can reduce quantity and quality.
Generally, white flies are controlled by predator wasps in commercial
operations. For homeowners, the best bet is to get yellow, sticky cards and
place them around the plants that are infested. Replace the cards once they
become full of this pest. You also can follow an aggressive pattern of
spraying with insecticides, such as Sevin, when you see them flying. The egg
masses and immature nymphs will not be affected by the spray for the most
part. As Calvin Coolidge once said, "persistence and determination alone are
omnipotent."

Q: My wife purchased a
self-watering container system from a catalog house last spring. We planted
three tomato plants in the container, but found out it was one too many. The
plants shot up and had lots of fruit, but when the fruit started to ripen, the
bottoms turned black. Some of the fruit have small, black insect casings
attached. At least I think they are insect casings. The inside of the fruit is
contaminated beyond the black exterior. Also, the leaves started to turn yellow
after 30 to 45 days. Any ideas? (e-mail reference)

A: My faith doesn't
extend to automatic or self-watering containers. To grow good fruit requires
human judgment, which these take away. Secondly, what you saw getting
started probably was blossom end rot. This is caused by a cell breakdown on
the blossom end of the fruit (imagine that!) from insufficient calcium being
transported to the forming cell tissue at that point. The cells collapse and
the secondary organisms that cause the rot you see make an appearance.
Generally, it is confined to certain cultivars of tomatoes, the first fruit
set or plants that are under accelerated growth. The yellow leaves could be
caused by too much water in a poorly-drained container, gray leaf spot or
early blight. These are pathogens brought on by heavy dews and frequent
rains where the foliage has not been allowed to dry sufficiently. Both can
be controlled with fungicides, but at this time of the season, I don't
recommend it.

Q: Is it a good idea to
fertilize tomatoes as they set fruit or will it result in more foliage? The
plants are huge and look healthy. Also, my neighbor has a plum tree that is
sending up many shoots in my yard. If I spray them, will it damage her tree? If
not, what should I use? They are a real nuisance! Thanks for your advice. I
enjoy your column and find it helpful. (Fargo, N.D.)

A: Regular
fertilization with a balanced fertilizer, such as Miracle-Gro, will improve
growth and fruit set. As long as they are not showing any signs of
deficiency and are setting fruit to your satisfaction, don't worry or
fertilize. As for the plum suckers, cut them back and then spray with Sucker
Stopper RTU. This will stop the suckering. I took my plum trees down years
ago because of the continual suckering problem. Thanks for the nice comments
about the column!

Q: Many of the leaves on
my tomato plants began to yellow and the green tomatoes that were emerging began
splitting on the bottom. The tomatoes were smaller than golf balls when this
began happening. It appears that new fruit also is affected. We recently had
heavy rains, so I am wondering if that might have something to do with it.
(e-mail reference)

A: No doubt about it.
Tomatoes need a rather consistent supply of water in order to produce well
and not split. When it doesn't rain, the gardener must accept the
responsibility of providing adequate water for normal growth.

Q: We have a terrible
problem with blossom end rot, but only on our zucchini. The tomatoes and
cucumbers are fine. Any ideas? (e-mail reference)

A: Harvest the
zucchini, cut off the degraded end and consume the rest. Avoid vigorous
cultivation and wide swings in irrigation cycles. As with some tomato
cultivars, blossom end rot usually is limited to the first fruit set. Later
fruits are usually free of the disease.

Q: This is my second
attempt at planting tomatoes in my yard. I have been able to produce nice plants
and fruit, but the skin is so tough that you can hardly eat it. What the heck
can I do to avoid this situation? (e-mail reference)

A: Plant a different
species of tomatoes. If that doesn't work, I don't know what else to tell
you.

Q: I was wondering if
watering my tomatoes at night is OK. I also noticed that the following day my
tomatoes start wilting again. Why? (e-mail reference)

A: Watering during the
early morning hours is better. That way the plant can efficiently use the
water with the warming sun and the chance for disease development is greatly
reduced. The wilting during the day is a normal reaction as long as the soil
is moist. The plants are probably getting full sun and/or reflected light
off a light-colored surface. As long as the plants recover, you have nothing
to worry about. The wilting will disappear as the plants mature.

Q: Is there anything I can
do if my tomatoes have too much nitrogen? I have blossom drop. (e-mail
reference)

A: Nitrogen is
leachable, so double water a few times to see if that helps. Flower drop
also is caused by extremes in watering regimes, temperature swings or root
damage.

Q: I'm a novice gardener
and recently came across your Web site. I started tomatoes from seed and on the
package it said to transplant the seedlings once they had two pairs of leaves. I
planted all of the seeds in one big pot because I didn't anticipate that all of
them would come up! I waited until they had two pairs of leaves, which I assumed
were the first leaves and then the true leaves. The first leaves have started
yellowing and I'm worried that I might have killed my plants. Should I have
waited longer? Any advice you might have on growing tomatoes from seed would be
much appreciated. (e-mail reference)

A: Those first two
leaves are called seed leaves or cotyledons. It is normal for the cotyledons
to gradually die after the true leaves open up. Wait about two more weeks
before planting outside, unless you live much farther south than North
Dakota. Watch out for late-spring frosts because tomatoes are not tolerant
of frost. If a frost is predicted, then cover the plants with an old sheet
or newspaper for protection.

Q: I bought
a house two years ago. The previous owner had cherry tomatoes.
After I planted my vegetables, I also got more cherry tomatoes.
Is there a way to keep the killer cherry tomatoes from returning
this year? (e-mail reference)

A:
Presprout them by solarizing the soil with clear plastic
before planting your garden. Once sprouted, they are easily
cultivated out. There should be diminishing plant populations
over the years anyway if you are not planting any more cherry
tomatoes. The solarization should take care of any seed left
in the soil and you can grow your veggies free of invading
cherry tomatoes!

Q: My
father-in-law is an incredible gardener. Year after year he grows
beautiful, tasty, juicy tomatoes. He keeps seeds from the year
before to plant the next year. This year his crop of tomatoes
looked amazing. The plants were healthy, they flowered, tomatoes
appeared and grew to amazing sizes, but they did not fully ripen.
Most of the tomatoes stayed green. He didn't do anything
differently from other years. We have looked high and low on the
Internet for an answer, but could not find one. (e-mail
reference)

A: The
main problem is the fact that your father-in-law saves the
seed each year. Not that this is a bad thing, but tomatoes
are bred for certain climate conditions. When the genetic
information is erased or lost, as it would be in saving the
seed from year to year, that characteristic of ripening
within a certain time period and day length is lost. For
example, the tomato hybrids that grow and produce well in a
greenhouse in Florida or south Texas will not do well in our
northern gardens and vice versa. Another factor that
influences the ripening of tomatoes is the heat units. If
Toronto were short on heat units, the tomatoes would be
slower to ripen. We had that problem in North Dakota last
year when our summer was cool through August, so very few
tomatoes had ripened to that point. I was telling everybody
to dig out their grandmother's green tomato recipes, but
September turned warm and we had an extended growing season
through October. The extended season allowed the tomatoes to
ripen before the killing frosts killed the plants. Tell your
father-in-law not to give up, but try some hybrids next year.

Q: I have
tomato plants that are 5 feet tall. Can I snip the ends off the
branches to encourage fruit growth such as you do with squash? I
do pinch off the suckers between the crooks of the branches.
Thanks for any help you can give me. (Bismarck, N.D.)

A:
Pruning the plant will keep it compact. Many people do get
rid of the sucker growth that appears on the main stem. To
get larger, fewer fruit, remove any blooms that appear before
fruit set can take place. If you have overfertilized the
tomatoes, the growth will be mostly vegetative. In that case,
any pruning would be of little help.

Q: I have a
problem with my tomatoes. The tomatoes get small, dark brown
spots on the leaves. After that, the leaves turn yellow and the
brown spots grow together. Im worried Im going to
lose my tomatoes because it seems to spread fast. What do I need
to do? (e-mail reference)

A: You
have blight, but I cant tell which one. Here is a
laundry list of what you can do to prevent it from spreading.
Pick off all infected leaves. Dont water overhead
because the splash is an excellent conveyor of the disease
spores. Dont overfertilize. Dig out the badly infected
plants, but dont hoe, weed or otherwise work the garden
when dew is present on the foliage. If you believe there is a
need, get the appropriate garden fungicide for vegetable
crops and apply according to directions. Typical fungicides
include mancozeb, benomyl and chlorothalonil.

Q: I used
regular cedar mulch to place around my tomato plants to prevent
rain splash. I had thought at one time that might not be good
because too much nitrogen might be sucked from the soil, but the
person at the outlet store said that it would take longer than a
season. (e-mail reference)

A:
Unfortunately, the person at the outlet store is wrong. The
mulch can tie up nitrogen in a matter of weeks and would soon
be evident symptomatically on the plants growing within. This
easily can be offset by adding nitrogen to compensate for the
tie-up in the soil microbes.

Q: I have
someone with bottom-rot on their tomatoes. Any idea of the cause?
(e-mail reference)

A:
Blossom-end rot is a physiological disorder caused by an
incomplete cell formation at the time of fruit development on
the blossom end. It is common on early-setting tomato
cultivars. It usually disappears when fruit develops. The way
to avoid a recurrence is to maintain an even soil moisture
level as much as possible and avoid dry/wet cycles.
Dont cultivate too aggressively around the plants and
damage the roots, and avoid overfertilization with
high-nitrogen material. The cell tissue breaks down due to
insufficient calcium and other minerals that go into
cell-wall development, so rotting pathogens then set in. The
affected part can be cut out and the rest of the tomato
eaten, but the tomatoes would have to be discarded if they
are intended for market purposes.

Q: Can you
please tell me if there are certain varieties of tomatoes that
have a low acidic content? Im trying to avoid getting
canker sores. At the end of last summer, my husband and I got
canker sores for the first time in our lives. After eating all of
our tomatoes, we quit getting the sores. This year we only want
to plant varieties that wont cause these painful sores.
(e-mail reference)

A: NDSU
has done some studies on the acidity of tomatoes. The pH does
vary, but mostly stays above 4.3. Some of the varieties that
tested high for us (above pH 5.0) are health kick (5.04),vita
gold (5.09), La Roma (5.08), Russian (5.09), super marzano
(5.20) and classica (5.05).

People
often mistake the pink- or yellow-colored varieties as having
a higher pH (lower acidity), but that has not proven to be
the case when looking at the research. Generally, the lower
acidity taste is due to a higher proportion of sugar to acid
in the fruit, so it is not as noticeable when eating. I would
suggest allowing the tomato to remain on the vine until it
has reached the maximum level of ripeness to allow for
greater sugar accumulation and lower acid taste.

It is
often thought that canker sores come from something like
eating too many tomatoes, but it is often a sign of some
nutritional imbalance in the body. I would suggest checking
with a nutritionist, dentist or doctor to be sure that there
is no mineral or vitamin deficiency (especially B12) in your
system.

Q: I am
growing tomato plants in my portable greenhouse. The plants are
growing great and have flowers, but dont produce many
tomatoes. Is there a trick to getting the plants to fruit?
(e-mail reference)

A: The
trick is to get bees involved or shake the plants while they
are in flower. It will make a big difference!

Q: I have
started several tomato plants and herbs indoors in preparation
for planting outside later this spring. The plants grow very
fast, but the stems are spindle-thin and dont seem to
thicken up. What is wrong? (e-mail reference)

A: You
very likely made the same mistake most people make in
starting seed indoors, insufficient light. They need light
and lots of it! This can be accomplished by the use of
fluorescent bulbs. Use a warm white and a cool white bulb
placed inches above the seeds and developing seedlings. Keep
the lights on for 12 to 13 hours a day. Using this technique,
you will get thicker, healthier plants. Also, dont keep
them too warm. Temperatures in the low 70s or upper 60s work
best.

Q:
Ive had problems with blight in my tomato plants the last
few years. I moved my garden to a different location, but the
problem was worse. Are there blight-resistant plants or is there
some treatment to control the blight? My plants are almost dead
by the time the fruit starts to ripen.
(Fargo, N.D.)

A: Go
through the garden catalogs and look for variety names with
the initials VFNT and A behind them. This means that the
variety is resistant or at least tolerant to the most common
tomato problems, such as verticillium wilt (V), fusarium wilt
(F), nematodes (N), tobacco mosaic virus (T) and alternaria
(A). Avoid water splash when watering, working the soil
around the plants when the foliage still has morning dew
present and overfertilizing. Be sure the plants are located
where they get full sunlight and good air circulation.

Q: I have a
tomato plant that is now my second houseplant to be attacked by a
strange problem! Little black, egglike gritty things are
appearing on the underside of the leaves. The leaves are turning
yellow and dying. (e-mail reference)

A: You
can control these insects with Insecticidal Soap, which is a
direct toxin to soft-bodied insects. It kills the insects by
dehydrating them. Be sure to cover both leaf surfaces. This
material is safe to use on edible plants and in the home on
houseplants.

Q: My
tomatoes were hit with fusilaria wilt this past summer. Is there
an effective method of sterilizing the soil? Would a propane weed
torch work? I would appreciate any help you could give me with
this problem. (Detroit Lakes, Minn.)

A: If
you use a propane weed torch, all you will do is warm the
surface of the soil a little and perhaps kill a few
languishing weed seeds, but nothing more. The best approach,
when you have disease problems, is to get a resistant variety
and plant in a different location in full sun. Always try to
avoid water splash.

Q: I
planted a tomato plant (cant recall the name, but it grew
small, cherry like tomatoes). It grew a lot of tomatoes, but
almost all of them fell off while still green. Any ideas what
caused the problem? (e-mail reference)

A:
Usually fruit drop is caused by fluctuations in water
availability or temperature swings. It could be the plant was
not nourished sufficiently to support the fruit load.

Q: Over the
past few years the lower leaves of my tomato plants have turned
yellow and fell off. Eventually there was hardly any foliage and
the plant produced very few tomatoes. I tried adding powdered
milk to each plant when I put them in the ground. I thought this
was working because they all looked good and then I noticed that
the yellowing returned. (e-mail reference)

A:
Hearing about using powdered milk on tomato plants is a first
for me. Use Miracle-Gro or something similar at planting time
for tomato and other vegetable plants. Avoid overhead
watering; rotate the planting site, make sure the soil is
well drained and that the plants get full sunlight. Also, try
to select resistant cultivars.

Q: I have a
patio tomato plant. This past week the bottom half turned yellow.
It is in a pot with plenty of drainage, so I give it a pitcher of
water daily. I do not know what to do. (e-mail reference)

A: It
appears your tomato plant is showing the symptoms of early
blight. At this stage, there is little that you can do about
it. Carefully remove the affected foliage and avoid splashing
water on the foliage when you water. If the plant
doesnt need water on a particular day due to cool
temps, cloud cover or rain, then do not water. You should
still be able to harvest some tomatoes.

Q: I
purchased a tomato on the vine (a clump of two to five tomatoes
still attached to the vine) at the grocery store. I left them on
the kitchen counter, not in the refrigerator. They lasted for
about two weeks. I ate all of them except one. When I cut it open
to use it, the seeds were sprouting green leaves. I have never
heard of this before. Usually tomatoes rot before I can use them.
What caused the seeds to sprout inside a ripe tomato? (e-mail
reference)

A: The
chemistry in the fruit changes as it continues to ripen. It
got to a pH level where the seed was able to germinate.

Q: I
thought my wife had a senior moment when she started saving
gallon plastic milk jugs. When she had about 20 to 25 jugs, my
curiosity got the best of me so I asked her what in the world she
was going to do with them. She promptly told me that she was
going to cut the bottom off the jugs and create miniature hot
houses for our tomatoes and peppers. She went on, treating me
somewhat like a small child, to say she could get a month head
start on all the neighbors by putting the jugs over the plants.
She continued to explain that with the jugs in place, she did not
have to worry about the sun baking the tender plants. I went to
my shop and sharpened the lawnmower blade, amazed by her
knowledge. (e-mail reference)

A: As
usual, your wife was right on! You have lived a sheltered
life because this practice dates back to the invention of
plastic milk containers. Get out of your garage more often
and listen to your wife. I do and am still learning from her!

Q: I had
someone call in wondering about her tomato and potato plants. She
described the plants as having thick leaves that curl upward. I
suggested it may be pesticide damage. She had the same problem
last year. The plants did get better, but it was so late in the
season they didnt produce any fruit. She also said that
about 10 plants out of 100 appear healthy, but the others all
exhibit the same symptoms I described. I asked if the healthy
plants were all in one area, and she said that they are scattered
all over. (Carson, N.D.)

A: Your
analysis sounds about right - but it could also be any number
of problems, or simply a characteristic of the cultivar. It
could also be that this particular person is saving their
seed every year and is carrying some disease over on the
seed. That is the extent of my guesses - beyond that, samples
should be sent into the diagnostic lab.

Q: I bought
a yellow tomato plant that was growing nicely until I
transplanted it into a pot using garden soil. I believe the soil
has Miracle-Gro and fertilizer in it. The plant is not dying, but
it has now turned black and won't grow. (Eureka, S.D.)

A:
Obviously the plant doesn't like where you placed it. If the
pot doesn't freely drain, that could be the problem. If the
plant is black and not green, then it is dead. I don't know
what else I can say with the information you've given me.
Miracle-Gro potting soil is a quality product and has been on
the market for a long time. You might do a seed test using
corn and beans to see if they grow. If they do, then the
problem isn't the soil.

Q: Someone
called me about young tomato plants that they purchased about a
week ago. They were doing very well, but they have white spots on
the leaves and they are curling. They still have the plants in
the house. Do you have any idea what could be wrong? (Carson,
N.D.)

A: Yes,
the fact they are not yet planted in the garden! Tell them to
get them in the ground ASAP. Tomato plants sitting in the
house at this time of year are not going to look good. They
should recover when transplanted if they haven't been kept in
too dark a location.

Q: What
would cause a green and young tomato about the size of your
little finger to split on the bottom? (e-mail reference)

A: A
sudden surge of moisture after an extended period without.

Q: I've got
three varieties of tomato growing in my garden: Earl girl, better
boy and brandywine. My brandywine plants have leaves that are
yellowing and necrotic from tip to stem. Is this variety more
susceptible to disease? Do they have some mineral requirement
that the others don't? (e-mail reference)

A:
Brandywines do not have special requirements. If the problem
is isolated to a few leaves and stems, carefully cut those
off and dispose of them. If the malady continues to progress,
then get rid of them and replant.

A: Tomatoes are definitely toxic to livestock. The only
green bean species that is toxic to livestock that I have
listed is Phaseolus lunatus. With squash, it depends on the
nitrate levels found in the foliage.

Q: This year our tomato plants are drying up starting from the
bottom around the center and then moving up. They are getting
plenty of water and we even gave them Miracle-Gro. The plants
aren't very big. They do have tomatoes and some are nice sized.
Any idea what could be drying them up or what we can do? (Selby,
S.D.)

A: It is tomato blight time again in the Upper Midwest!
Our wonderfully variable regional weather has set the stage
for tomato blight diseases. There are four diseases that fall
into this general category, each with distinct symptoms and
caused by different fungi. Based on your description, I would
guess that yours is early blight. It attacks the older
foliage and slowly works its way up the vine. Secondary
damage to the fruit is manifested by sunscald from foliage
loss.

Avoid overhead watering or using mulch. Use only clean
seed and dont plant in the same location each year.
Spraying with fungicides at this time will do little good and
only contaminate the environment with unnecessary pesticide.
Be sure to clean the garden of all litter this fall and turn
the soil over before the snow flies if you have a chance.

Q: I had a gardener ask me why the blossoms would suddenly
fall off his tomato plants. Can you explain that one? Also, why
would cucumbers suddenly quit blooming? (Mandan, N.D.)

A: One answer to both questions, high temperatures and a
lack of adequate moisture. While both like warm temperatures,
the hot weather we've been having and the lack of consistent
rainfall will cause both blossom abortion and non blooming.
Even our zucchini plants are way down on production this year
and that's saying something!

Q: We've been so pleased to have ripe
tomatoes so early in the season but they have suddenly started to
get hard and yellow at the stem ends. We are raising them in an
earth box. The three varieties we have are cherry tomato, early
girl and beefy boy. Do you have any idea what is
happening? (Bismarck, N.D.)

A: Just when I think I have heard
about every problem dealing with tomatoes, someone comes up
with a new one! I suspect something is wrong with the
environment if it is hitting all the varieties equally.

Q: I had a lady call regarding her tomatoes. The plants she
has seem to be growing quite tall but not bushing out. She is
wondering if its okay to pinch them back to promote lower
growth? Also, what do you think of the blossom spray products? I
have a flower bed in town that a lady has had trouble with the
last two years. The geraniums and petunias have severe yellowing.
Could iron deficiency be a possibility? She also would like to
know a source for buying a powdered iron supplement. (Hettinger,
N.D.)

A: Yes, she can go ahead and pinch back the tomatoes
without any effect. She may be using too much nitrogen
fertilizer. Blossom spray products are fine but usually
arent necessary. The yellowing of the geraniums and
petunias could be an excessive salt accumulation and/or too
high a pH. Iron sulfate may solve the problem. Chelated iron
would be better if it can be found. Most garden stores have
some kind of iron fertilizer product.

Q: Ive got a veggie question for you. I know a man who
has greenhouse tomatoes that are 8-10 inches tall. I dont
know the variety. The top leaves are curling but not discolored.
He uses rain water and says the bottom leaves look vibrant and
healthy. Any ideas? ( Bowman, N.D.)

A: Its nothing to worry about -- just something that
happens with many cultivars of tomatoes as they grow. It is
believed that this is a reaction to high temperatures, sort
of a built-in plant water conservation technique used by the
most tender and vulnerable leaves.

Q: We're growing some tomato and pepper transplants. Some of
the tomatoes are showing strong purpling of the leaves with the
veins remaining green. They are growing in small 1 1/4 inch size
plug trays. Their about 6-7 inches tall. Would adding some
Miracle-Gro help? Should we transplant them into something
larger? How about the temperature? The temperature they are being
kept at is around 60 degrees. (Cando, N.D.)

A: The temperature is too low, there is not enough soil
mass, and they are suffering from lack of nutrients. Raise
the temperature to about 70-72 F., repot into larger
containers or packs and fertilize every two weeks with a
complete fertilizer.

Q: My friend and I are having a debate over whether a tomato
is a fruit or a vegetable. Can you please answer this question
for me? (E-mail reference)

A: Tomatoes are fruits eaten as vegetables. Here's another
one for debate: rhubarb is a vegetable eaten as a fruit.

Q: I have a bad problem with tomato blossom rot. I have been
told its caused by a calcium deficiency. I have tried a
foliage spray with mixed results. Is there some other way to
address this problem? Also, my annual flower bed dirt has become
so gumbo like that the plants will no longer root. I live in
Crosby and the water comes from the citys lime softening
plant. I think this is part of the problem. I am going to replace
the dirt and start over but I have to use the same type of dirt
for replacement. What can I mix in with the native dirt to
prevent this problem from recurring? (Crosby, Minn.)

A: Blossom end rot is a cultivar/environment interaction.
Generally the cause is from overzealous cultivation that
damages the roots and results in a reduced nutrient uptake.
It could also be from a wide fluctuation of watering or
rainfall. Finally, some cultivars in some climates are prone
to this malady, at least with the initial fruit set, thought
to be tied with cold soil or cold water in the root zone.
But, since you told me that the water source is already
softened, and most likely with sodium, the problem is that
particular cation is in such high concentration that it is
destroying the structure of the soil and negatively affecting
the growth of your plants. You need to get another water
source or treat the water with a RO unit to remove the salt.
It will simply cause the problem again later on even with all
the soil being replaced. Canadian sphagnum peat moss is an
excellent soil conditioner, and I would suggest incorporating
generous amounts into the soil to improve the tilth.

Q: What causes my tomatoes to be mealy? They look great, are
firm and ripe, but when we cut them open they are mushy and
mealy. What can we do to avoid this? (E-mail reference)

A: Change to another cultivar if you are growing them in
your garden. If you are purchasing them from a supermarket,
complain to the produce manager. I dont know
specifically what causes the problem but I would guess it has
something to do with environmental/cultivar interactions. If
the tomatoes you are growing are from seed you have saved
from previous crops, that could be the answer. If I come
across a definitive answer either via my references or
another authority, I'll post it to my Web site.

Q: If I use Miracle-Gro on my tomato plants, will it go into
the tomatoes? My children will not eat them if I use it. Also, a
lot of my tomatoes have big cracks in them. What is causing the
cracks? (Jamestown, N.D.)

A: Miracle-Gro is a fertilizer compound of some 13
elements needed for plant growth. Those same elements are
present in the soil and available to the tomato plants.
Adding a broad-spectrum fertilizer like Miracle-Gro boosts
the nutrient level of the soil and in many cases, makes up
for other deficiencies. It has never poisoned anybody. The
cracks on your tomatoes are caused by variable weather
conditions. Some cultivars are more prone to developing them
than others.

Q: A tomato gets ripe on the plant and after it gets picked,
it does not get ripe, it gets old, right? (E-mail reference)

A: Sounds like someone has a bet on this question so here
is my answer: Mature green tomatoes will ripen after they are
picked if placed in the right environment. Immature green
tomatoes will not ripen no matter what, and will, as you say,
simply get older, eventually rotting. Tomatoes go through
some interesting biochemical changes as they develop to
maturity and ripen, either on or off the vine. We are
currently conducting research on tomato cultivars for acidity
(pH), taste, and lycopene (antioxidant) content. We are
initially finding that acidity varies little between
cultivars and that they are not as acid as we once thought.
We also think we are seeing a difference in the sugar and
acid content based on weather conditions or location such as
Fargo compared to Williston. Once tomatoes biologically
mature, they have the biochemical capability of ripening,
changing the acid/sugar ratio as the fruit ripens. A fully
ripe tomato has a higher sugar content than one that is not
fully ripe with no difference between the ripening taking
place on or off the vine. I hope I answered your question to
your satisfaction.

Q: I received a call from a lady about tomatoes. Her tomatoes
have what she described as a black mold on the lower half of the
tomato. The inside flesh of the tomato is brown and unusable. She
says the plant itself looks healthy. The tomatoes are suspended
and not laying on the ground. The disease information I reviewed
didn't match the symptoms. She is concerned that she will have
the disease in the soil for future crops. Any conclusions or
recommendations? Thanks! (Napoleon, N.D.)

A: It sounds like delayed blossom rot having an effect on
the whole fruit. This is a cultivar interaction with the
environment, which is simply the fact that this particular
one is not suited for growing in N.D. Normal garden clean up
this fall and a new cultivar selection will likely solve the
problem.

Q: I read an answer about an Oregon Spring tomato (nearly
seedless). I was wondering if you could tell me where I might be
able to purchase seeds or plants? (E-mail reference)

A: I think you would be better off, at this stage of the
season, waiting until next spring. You can order seeds from
Tomato Growers Supply Company, Box 2237, Ft. Myers FL 33902.
Their phone number is: 1-(888)-478-7333.

Q: Approximately 70 years ago, my father grew a variety of red
tomato named Red River, which I recall was hybridized by your
facility. For many years seeds of this variety were cultivated by
our family. It was our favorite. However, because of moves which
precluded any vegetable gardening for a few years, we lost track
of seeds for Red River tomatoes. (E-mail reference)

A: I have never heard of that variety of tomato, but
perhaps someone will have some seed that they would be
willing to share with you. If I get any kind of positive
response, I'll connect the two of you.

Q: How do I fight existing tomato and potato blight? What can
I do to prevent it? (Breckenridge, M.N.)

A: If it is just getting started, carefully pick off the
infected leaves and dispose of them. Then, try to keep the
water from splashing onto the foliage when watering. This can
be accomplished with a soaker hose, drip irrigation, and/or
generous mulch around the plants. If it is widespread, then
fungicides need be applied. There are plenty of
"garden" fungicides for you to select from at the
local nursery or garden supply store. Finally, select those
cultivars that are resistant to the diseases, and try to
rotate the plantings with something that is not in the same
family as the potato and tomato for about three years.

Q: I have no room for a garden but would like to plant at
least one tomato plant in a large cedar planter located either on
my deck or somewhere else in my yard. What tomato do you
recommend? I would prefer something larger than a cherry tomato.
Do I care for it the same as the tomatoes I had in my garden?
Should I use garden soil or potting soil? Someone told me that
when they used a large planter they put styrofoam in the bottom
and then filled the rest with soil so the planter wasn't so
heavy. Is this a good idea? (Ashley, N.D.)

A: No cherry tomatoes? Ok then here is a list of varieties
that I have found tasty and productive. Many of which should
be available at some local garden centers: Early Girl,
Brandywine red, Celebrity, Oregon Spring, Prairie Fire,
Health Kick, and Russian. Of course, if you can find Sheyenne
around your area, that is an old favorite. About the only
thing you need to be concerned with is the watering.
Container gardens dry out faster than in-ground ones do. Use
potting soil, not garden soil.

Q: I just read your column and noticed that someone is looking
for Sheyenne tomatoes. We grow them where I work (at Harmens
Greenhouse near LaMoure). We save the seeds each year and have a
large demand for them. We wholesale as well as retail, so your
inquirer may find them at a location near them. I'm sure if they
contact Harmsens (701-883-5813) they would be glad to let them
know of a source nearby. (LaMoure, N.D.)

A: You have no idea how happy you made many people in our
area! Thanks for providing the lead.

Q: I am a long time gardener who has enjoyed starting my own
seeds. I have had good luck with tomatoes called "Super
Fantastic." The last several years I havent been able
to find the seeds. Could you give me some information on where I
might purchase the seeds? Also, what kind of evergreen trees
could I plant that would not harm the apple trees? (Wolsey, S.D.
)

A: Tomato Growers Supply has the tomato seeds that
you are looking for. Their phone number is (888) 478-7333.
The seed is listed on page 11 in their catalog. Any evergreen
would work except any junipers.

Q: You had a request from a Moorhead resident about the
Sheyenne tomato. Tanager Organic Seeds specializes in organically
grown heirloom vegetable seeds. You can access the catalog at: www.angelfire.com/biz2/collectibles4u/seeds.html
(Moorhead, Minn.)

A: Thanks! Your tip will make hundreds if not thousands of
people happy. I checked the site out and it looks great.

Q: Would you have any information on a supplier of the
Sheyenne variety of tomato? I can't seem to locate it. I have
older friends that tell me how great that tomato was. ( Moorhead,
Minn.)

A: I'm afraid you'll have to trust your older friends and
their judgement. It was a good tomato, and still is, but is
not available commercially anywhere that I know of. There
might be some old-timers around who save the seed from year
to year and would be willing to part with some, but I don't
know who they would be. In the meantime, don't pine for the
old days as there are dozens of other tomatoes readily
available that are excellent in taste and disease resistance.

Q: I have a client who likes tomatoes but has troubles with
the seeds because of diverticulitis. He would like information on
availability of seedless tomato varieties that could be grown
here. (Cavalier, N.D.)

A: There is no such thing, as far as I know, as a
completely seedless tomato. There is one that is touted as
nearly seedless, and we have grown it. It is called Oregon
Spring and was developed by Oregon State University. The
oxhearts are low in seed (just from experience) but this
variety is the only one that touts seedlessness as a quality.

Q: This year almost all of my tomatoes split on top. The
bottoms were fine. I kept them watered and mulched. Why did this
happen? Also my ferns got brown and dry by the middle of August.
I think it may have been from the hot wind. Could that be?
(E-mail reference, northern South Dakota)

A: Sometimes it has to do with the variety of the tomato,
and it usually affects the first fruit setting the most. I
would suggest considering another tomato cultivar (variety)
next spring, since it appears that you did everything right
this year. Concerning the ferns, the wind could very easily
be the cause. Some ferns are tough and will bounce back next
spring, so don't give up hope just yet.

Q: A local farmer brought tomatoes and wanted to know why they
developed yellow patches. All have some degree of yellow on
them. I'm sorry I don't have any information about the variety,
etc. (Williston, N.D.)

A: The random yellowing is nothing to really worry about,
unless one happens to be a nutrition fanatic. It simply
represents a lycopene (red coloration) breakdown in the fruit
and could be a result of the cultivar interacting with the
environment (soil, watering, nutrients, weather conditions,
etc.). Slice 'em up and enjoy, even if they are still a
little deficient nutrition-wise

Q: What can I do to make tomatoes ripen faster? My plants this
year had a lot of foliage. Should I trim that off and if so how
much should I trim? Someone had told me not to water the tomatoes
after they have set fruit. Is this true, or should I keep
watering them? (Battle View, N.D.)

A: Tomatoes suddenly exposed to sunlight after being under
a dense canopy foliage may just sunburn. They don't need sun
on them to ripen. Yes, water stressing the tomatoes will
cause them to ripen faster. Late in the season they should be
able to get along on what mother nature provides anyway.

Q: Can you give me any information on tomatillos? How do they
produce in North Dakota? When do they ripen ? (Bismarck, N.D.)

A: Tomatillos and tomatoes are both in the nightshade
family, but different genera. The tomatillo is the genus
Physalis while tomato is the Lycoperscion genera. Tomatillos
grow fruit from large marble to golf ball size in a papery
husk and are often called "husk tomatoes." There
are several indicators of ripeness: the husk gets papery and
straw-colored; or it opens; or, the fruit inside changes
color from a green to a pale yellow. The tomatillo is used in
Mexican cuisine to make a "genuine" salsa. They are
generally simmered in water for five to10 minutes or roasted
in a broiler until the skin blackens slightly to bring out
the flavor before adding to salsa or other recipes. Leave the
husks on when harvesting and storing. They will store longer.
They often self-seed, so the following season will have some
volunteers if they are not completely harvested in the fall.

Q: I am a first time tomato gardener(in a pot). The first
tomatoes grew nicely and the last bunch were very small, just a
little larger than cherry tomato size. Is this common? Also, how
do I know when the plant will stop producing fruit? When that
happens does it mean I throw the plant out, or does it come back
next year? (E-mail reference, Dallas, Texas)

A: Your location makes a BIG difference. Thanks for
telling me! Generally, tomatoes are thrown out at season's
end. In the north, we don't have to worry about when that
happens, as mother nature tells us with a killing frost
usually some time in September. There are basically two
tomato types as far as growth goes: determinate, where the
plant grows to a particular size, produces fruit, and stops
(some people refer to them as bush tomatoes), and
indeterminate, where the plant grows as a vine, either
sprawling all over the ground or up some kind of trellis.
They continue producing fruit until the season ends with a
frost. Concerning tomato size, no, smaller second fruits are
not common on most tomato cultivars. It may be that since you
have grown them in containers, the nutrient status is low in
your soil. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, and need regular
fertilization throughout the growing season, along with a
steady water supply.

I am glad you have chosen to garden and selected tomatoes
as your first crop. Theyre the most commonly grown
garden vegetable in America! I suggest you visit a local
bookstore and look for "The Complete Vegetable and Herb
Gardener," put out by the Burpee Company. It emphasizes
organic approaches to gardening and is loaded with valuable
information for both the beginner and professional.

Q: I have white spots on my tomatoes. When I bring them in the
house, after a few days it looks like little holes in the
tomatoes where the white spots were. What is wrong with them?
(Williston, N.D.)

A: My best guess is that it is a disease like bacterial
speck that attacks fruit in this manner, leaving black dots
or holes all over the fruit. While unsightly, they can be cut
out in most cases and the fruit still consumed. Try to avoid
water splash on the fruit and foliage, and take care when
working the garden that the disease doesn't get spread from
one plant to another. Spraying with a fungicide at this time
would be of no help. Cleaning up the debris this fall,
rotating the planting site, and selecting resistant cultivars
are the best approaches to preventing tomato disease.

Q: Can you please tell me what is wrong with my tomatoes. They
always have enough water and Ive raised tomatoes for years
without problems. The leaves started to dry up from the bottom up
and went all over the plant. I did spray with fungicide, but that
didnt help. Can you help? (Tuttle, N.D.)

A: From your description, it sounds like Septoria leaf
spot. I am sending you some literature to read regarding the
disease and its management. Dont be too hard on
yourself. It is normal to replant where you had good
production the previous year, and this has been an ideal
summer for proliferation of tomato diseases.

Q: When my tomatoes start blooming before the plant is well
developed and bushed out, I pull the blossoms off to give the
plants a chance to bush out more. My neighbor says if I do this I
will have no tomatoes. Which one of us is right? (Audubon, Minn.)

A: I vote for your neighbor. I know many Master Gardeners
and commercial growers of tomatoes who never follow that
practice. They consider every bloom a potential tomato fruit!

Q: I started my tomatoes under grow lights in the basement.
After the weather warmed up I moved them to the greenhouse. I
have a disease infecting all six varieties of tomatoes. What is
it? I sprayed it with Maneb. Enclosed is a sample for you to look
at. Also, my spruce have something wrong with them. Can you
please tell me what? (Regent, N.D.)

A: Your tomatoes are showing symptoms of phenoxy herbicide
damage. It is either a contaminant in your soil or it has
drifted in through your greenhouse ventilation system. The
spruce samples you sent show symptoms of both needle cast and
drought damage. Spray with Bravo (chlorothalonil) in June and
July to control the needle cast. For the drought affected
ones, water would solve the problem.

Q: We wish to plant a couple tomato plants on the east side of
our garage. We realize this is not an ideal area for tomatoes
since they will only get full sun in the morning but do not have
yard on the south or west side to plant in. What would you
suggest we add to the soil to prepare it as best we can for the
young plants? Peat moss? (E-mail reference, Aberdeen, S.D.)

A: Not to worry. Tomatoes will do well with east sunlight
against a home. I have seen it at least a half-dozen times.
The early morning sun dries the foliage, the sun light and
heat reflect from the side of the building, the plants get at
least six hours of direct sunlight most of the summer, and
they are spared the destructive heat of the late afternoon
sun. Working sphagnum peat moss into the soil each year prior
to planting can do nothing but improve the growth and
production of your plants.

Q: I had blight in my tomatoes the last two years . Now I am
wondering if there is a disease resistant tomato plant out there.
If I take out the top 6 inches of the top soil, will that be
enough to plant them back in the same plot? (E-mail reference,
Hoven, S.D.)

A: That's too much work! Simply order disease resistant
tomatoes. Any of the All-America Selection winners are
resistant. Incorporate generous amounts of peat moss into the
soil; water only around the base of the plant, not on the
foliage, and stake them to keep the foliage and fruit off the
ground. If you continue to have a problem after this year,
get into a three-year crop rotation; beans, corn, then back
to your tomatoes. That often breaks the disease cycle.

Q: I had a patron stop in today who starts her tomato plants
from seed. Her question is,
what are some of the best varieties of tomatoes to grow in this
area? (E-mail reference,
Valley City, N.D.)

A: There are probably close to 100 varieties of tomatoes
that can be grown in North Dakota. Celebrity is one of the
best hybrids as it grows with few problems and produces good
sized (not jumbo) fruits. Others are: Sweet 100, Sweet
Million, Better Boy Hybrid, Burpee Hybrid, Early Girl,
Stupice, Siberia, and Better Bush Hybrid to name just a very
few. Some are bush, some are indeterminate; some are large
and some are small, depending on what the gardener wants.
Good sources for the seeds are:

Q: When should we start our tomato and pepper seeds? Can we
just plant them directly outside in the spring? (e-mail)

A. Pepper and tomato seed should not be started yet!
Figure about 28 to 30 days from the average last frost date
in your area, and plant the seeds in a sterile media (like
vermiculite) at that time. Be sure they get ample light from
a flourescent lamp (about 6 to 9 inches above the seedbed),
and bottom heat of about 72 F. As the seeds germinate, move
the lamp up accordingly.

If we lived in a warmer climate, direct sowing might be
possible. Simply put it out of your mind anywhere in the
upper Midwest. Some may sprout, but the fruit bearing would
be non-existent due to our short season.

Q: Help! The tomatoes in our community got sick this year. The
tomatoes were half red and half green and spoiled too fast. I am
a 93½ year old grandmother and love to garden. (Rolette, N.D.)

A: The likely problem is a combination of factors; first,
blossom end rot, followed by late blight fungus taking over.
Try a different variety or two next year, plant in another
location and hope Mother Nature cooperates with some decent
tomato-growing weather!

Q: We had beautiful tomato plants loaded with fruit, but once
they began to ripen the bottoms turned black and seemed to rot.
This happened to about half of the tomatoes on every plant. What
could be the cause of this? We do rotate the vegetables when
seeding in the spring. (New Town, N.D.)

A: This is known as blossom end rot, caused by poor cell
wall formation at that location. This, in turn, is brought on
by surges in growth from excess moisture. Some cultivars are
more resistant than others. Mulching the plants will often
help nullify the problem.

Q: I have a problem with blight in my garden, on the tomatoes
and potatoes. Is there anything I can do to get it out of the
soil? I've been told to cover the garden with clear plastic and
the sun will destroy it. Is this true? (Detroit Lakes, Minn.)

A: Oh, if only it were that easy! The best thing you can
do are all of the following:

Q: My garden is full of blight, the tomatoes have just the
vines left, no leaves. Is there anything I can put on the garden
this fall to prevent blight next season? (Jamestown, N.D.)

A: There are a number of steps you can take to help assure
that your tomatoes will not be as blighted again:

Clean up all plant debris this fall, and if time permits,
turn over the garden soil. Select only those resistant
tomato cultivars next season. Look for the letters V, F, N
behind the names, which indicate Verticillium, Fusarium and
nematode resistance. Stake or cage your tomato plants
next year. They typically are healthier, and produce better,
along with having fewer disease problems. Avoid overhead
watering or splashing water on tomato foliage. This
contributes to more disease problems than most people
realize. Mulch the plants with compost or sphagnum peat moss.
This will modulate temperature and moisture extremes, and
prevent or greatly reduce rain splash.

Q: Can you please tell me what to do with my garden plot that
has had tomatoes with black spot or blight. To clean up this
fall, can I spray with chlorine bleach? What do you suggest?
(Fargo, N.D.)

A: I'm afraid that using bleach would alter the ecosystem
too much. You're likely to get a rebound of something much
worse! Instead, clean the area up physically as best you can,
turn the soil over before winter if time permits, be sure to
rotate your crops and select varieties that are disease
resistant.

Q: Our tomatoes had a problem this year. The first fruit was
okay, but that was all. Will it affect the soil for future use?
We do rotate our crops every year and we use a lot of compost
manure on it. (Karlsruhe, N.D.)

A: The tomatoes are showing an advanced stage of late
blight--Phytophthora infestans. This has become a somewhat
common disease on tomatoes this year, thanks to our rainy
season. Clean up your garden carefully this fall, and turn
the soil over. Plant resistant cultivars and stake or cage
your plants. And of course, plant them where no Solanum crop
was grown (peppers, eggplant, potatoes etc.).

Q: Can you tell me what is wrong with my cucumber and tomato
plants? (Pettibone, N.D.)

A: Your plants appear to have the advanced stage of
anthracnose and a bacterial leaf spot. First, I would suggest
selecting only those plant cultivars that have disease
resistance bred into them. Next, continue to rotate your
plantings, tomatoes with beans, cucumbers with cabbage, etc.
Avoid any overhead watering to keep this from recurring, and
spray with a copper-based material to control further spread
of the bacterial disease (if it hasn't developed too much).
For the anthracnose, try Bravo or mancozeb as a protectant.

Q: Can you tell me why the leaves on my tomato plants are
brittle, curl and have light-colored blotches? The problem seems
to be spreading upward. I hope I can save my plant before it
damages all of the green tomatoes on it. (Washburn, N.D.)

A: It appears your tomatoes are suffering from tomato
mosaic virus--akin to tobacco mosaic virus--spread by
handling (especially by smokers), leaf hoppers, etc.
Unfortunately, there is not much one can do. If it is
affecting only a couple of plants, then I'd suggest their
immediate removal. If it is hitting many, then I suggest
letting any green, mature tomatoes to ripen off the vine.

Q: My tomato plants were looking great and then this stuff
attached itself to them. I did spray it with bordeaux mixture,
but it didn't help. I enjoy plants, but I don't have any other
place to plant them, so will this affect my plants next year?
(Viborg, S.D.)

A: Your tomatoes have bacterial spot. It is a problem
controlling diseases when you cannot rotate your crops. Be
sure to clean the planting area completely of any debris,
purchase disease-resistant cultivars and avoid overhead
watering.

A: Grass is fine, as long as no herbicides have been
applied and you don't make the mulch more than 2 inches
thick. Also, it is not advisable to spread wet grass around
plants.

Q: I am trying to start a spraying program for blight on my
tomatoes and I was hoping you couldmake some suggestions. (Maple
Plain, Minn.)

A: You are smart to get a head start on these diseases.
The NDSU Extension Service publication titled "Disease
Control in Home-Grown Tomatoes" (PP-659) highlights what
you need to do. Spray with chlorothalonil, mancozeb or maneb,
and try to keep the foliage dry when watering.

Q: Every time my tomato plants get ripe they get black scab on
them. I have to pick them green, then let them ripen. I planted
them other places, but they still get that scab on them. One
person said I water them too much or dig around them too much.
Last year I didn't water them much, and they still got black
scab. Is there something I can spray on the tomato plants?
(Georgetown, Minn.)

A: It could be the variety of tomato you are planting. Do
you save the seed each year? If so, that's your No. 1
mistake. Plant them deep, in full sun, and water only around
the base of the plant, without splashing on the leaves. If
you are a vigorous cultivator in your garden, try to stay
away from the plants themselves with the hoehand weed
around them. Also, try mulching your plants with organic
matter this year to see if that helps.

Q: We are having a problem with our tomato leaves curling up,
turning yellow and dropping off in the middle of July and August.
Is there something I can do to stop this? I am also wondering
what does lime do for the soil? Should I put some lime in my
garden? (Mott, N.D.)

A: It sounds like verticillium wilt to mea
soil-borne disease. Your only defense is to purchase tomato
seed with some letters after the names, like V, F, N
(Verticillium, Fusarium and Nematode resistant varieties).

Lime is pretty much of little use in most of North Dakota.
It is a soil "sweetner"that is, it elevates
the pH to more alkaline levels, something most soils don't
need. I strongly suggest a soil test before any extensive
fertilizer use. At this point, I do not recommend the
application of any lime

Q: Is there such a thing as seedless tomatoes and cucumbers?
(Carpio, N.D.)

A: Your question is a simple one, but the answers are
tough. It took some calls to producers, and here is what I
found. There are no seedless cultivars of tomatoes or
cucumbers out there, but there are nearly seedless ones.

Your best bet probably is to call companies offering these
cultivars. Two such firms are Stokes in New York, at
1-800-396-9238, and Tomato Growers in Florida, at
1-888-478-7333.

Q: I am trying to grow tomatoes inside hoping to have some
ready to eat before we can plant them outside. Maybe even have
fresh tomatoes year round. My plants grow to the two leaf stage
then quit growing. What do I have to do to make them grow? I have
a light on them. Is the soil too cool? (Manvel, N.D., e-mail)

A: You are finding out what many who invested much money
into growing tomatoes commercially have found outit is not as
easy as it looks!

Tomatoes are warm-weather crops. They need heat, and
bottom heat is best. You can get some inexpensive heating
cables or pads and place them under the plants. This will
stimulate growth. Also, make sure the light is of the right
spectrum. They need to be plant lights, of the fluorescent
type, and kept close to the plantsabout 6 inches or so, no
further! Keep the lights on for 14 to 16 hours, and when
blooms appear, gently vibrate the tomato vines to aid
pollination. Also, let the water set out for a day to warm up
to room temperature. Coming directly out of the tap at this
time of year is murder on the root system!

You should be able to do it; others have following this
procedure. Good luck!

Q: I've started some tomato plants, and the underside leaves
are starting to turn purple, curl up and die. I've powdered for
bugs, but it hasn't helped. (Java, S.D.)

A: You are starting tomato plants about two and a half
months too early! The purpling is a symptom of phosphorus
deficiency. Check your planting mix for nutrient balance.

Q: I canned my tomatoes without salt, because my husband is on
a low-salt diet. Now people are telling my that the tomatoes are
not good because it is the salt that preserves them. Can we eat
the tomatoes without getting sick? (Forman, N.D.)

A: Thanks for writing. I'm married to a home economics
major who has canned tomatoes without salt for the past 14
years. Salt is an excellent preservative, but we are also
hooked on its taste. Following normal good canning procedures
such as clean containers, making sure of vacuum seals etc.
will help preserve the fruit. Also, tomatoes are quite
acidic, which helps in their preservation. Of course, dump
any canned tomatoes that appear off-color, flavor or smell.
Don't take a chance. In the future, refer to "Canning
and Freezing Tomatoes" (FN175), which is a publication
of the NDSU Extension Services.

Q: I am having trouble with my peppers getting a soft spot on
one side. It looks kind of like blossom end rot that sometimes is
seen on tomatoes. Is this possible and what should I do to stop
this problem? (Hannaford, N.D.)

A: Peppers do indeed get a blossom-end-rot malady like
tomatoes. Basically, the same treatment: mulching at time of
planting, steady water supply, and cultivar selections that
are not prone to the problem.

Q: Can you tell me where I can purchase some Israeli tomato
seeds. It says in this ad that they are powerful in fighting
cancer, and I would like to try them. (Rugby, N.D.)

A: Sorry I don't know where you can get the Israeli
lycopene-enriched tomato. But, shame on whoever wrote the
advertisement promotion! "...Farmers in Israel have come
up with a hybrid tomato that contains between 4 and 10 times
the lycopene content of regular varieties!" Now, just
what is a "regular variety"? The ones that all the
other seed companies have hybridized? I don't think they'd
agree!

Be confident that all ripe, fresh tomatoes are rich in
lycopene and will have the same anti-cancer benefits of the
Israeli tomatoes. I would simply like to try them to see if
they taste any better!

As a member of the Garden Writer's Association of America,
I should be among the first to know when (or if) this product
becomes available. When I do, I'll let everyone know through
this column.

Q: Can you give me some information on dry rot of tomatoes?
(Carrington, N.D.)

A: I assume by dry rot you mean blossom end rot. I've
addressed the subject several times throughout the years and
will be happy to do it again. Blossom end rot is not a
disease per se (not caused by a pathogen), but a condition
where insufficient calcium is available for complete cell
formation at the blossom end of the fruit. This causes tissue
breakdown, which results in the "rot" that is seen.

This is caused in some cases by wide fluctuations of water
availability, cultivation or other root injury, and it is
simply a characteristic of some tomato cultivars, with the
first fruit to ripen being most vulnerable.

No sprays! Just maintain an even moisture regime, mulch,
and select cultivars that are not prone to develop this
malady.

Q: Enclosed are some leaves of two different tomato plants.
Are they blighted or is there something else wrong with them?
(Minot, N.D.)

A: Your tomato is blighted with Alterneria solani, a
common fungus known as early blight. For control refer to
enclosed PP659, "Disease Management in Home-Grown
Tomatoes," where cultural and chemical controls are
listed. Other readers may obtain a copy from any county
office of the NDSU Extension Service, or by calling (701)
231-7882.

Basically, apply water at the base of the plants and avoid
splashing, and use protective fungicides like Mancozeb or
chlorothalonil.

Q: Enclosed is a tomato leaf which is affected by something.
Every year about six weeks into the growing season this same
thing appears. I have used different spray/powders, which don't
seem to help a whole lot. This does affect the size and number of
fruit they produce. I hope you can tell me what might be wrong.
If so, how can I correct this problem? (Gettysburg, S.D.)

A: Your sample was well on the way to rotting (please
everybody send me dry samples). But from what I could guess,
it appears to be herbicide residual damage.

If this is not a possibility, then please send another
sample, packed dry.

Q. Would you examine these samples of apple tree and tomato
leaves and identify the problem they have?

I took a sample of the tree leaves to two nurseries. One said
it was a blight and we bought the spray recommended and it didn't
help. (Don't know what it was.) The other said it was a
fungus and sold us Daconil. That didn't help either. What would
you recommend? Do the tomato leaves have the same problem? I
would appreciate your help, I would hate to loose the trees. They
are about 6 years old and bear apples every year.

A. The tomato plant has late blight, a relative of the
blight that caused the potato famine in Ireland. Fungicides
will not help at this stage. Try to plant in a different
location next year and use resistant cultivars.

Your apple tree has scab and what appears to be a root
problem. Application of fungicides must precede the
appearance of the disease. I also suggest aeration around the
dripline of the apple tree to possibly correct compaction, or
other root anaerobic problems.

Enclosed is a copy of PP-659, "Disease Control in
Home-Grown Tomatoes," and PP-454, "Diseases of
Apples and Other Pome Fruits." Others may obtain copies
of these publications at their local county extension offices
or by contacting the NDSU Extension Distribution Center, Box
5655, Morrill 10, NDSU, Fargo, ND 58105-5655.

Q. Can you tell me if there is something to put on my garden
ground before I plant next year? I have blight in my garden. It
is on my tomato and cucumber plants.

A. The disease is known as late blight or Phytophthora.
There isn't much you can do about it now. The best bet next
year is to get into crop rotation and avoid overhead or
splashing water when irrigating.

I have enclosed extension circular PP-469, "Plant
Disease Management in the Home Garden," which will also
help you. Others may obtain a copy of this publication at
their local county extension office or by contacting the NDSU
Extension Distribution Center, Box 5655, Morrill 10,
NDSU, Fargo, ND 58105-5655.

Q. Our greenhouse tomatoes, grown hydroponically, are showing
this leaf problem. Could you identify it and how to treat it?

Thank you. I always look for your column in the Sun Country
paper. (Carrington, N.D.)

A. From the visual symptoms alone, I would say your
solution is likely to be low in potassium. You definitely
have some kind of nutrient salt imbalance. Have your water
checked for naturally occurring salts, and adjust your
nutrient input accordingly.

The variation in water quality over the period of a year
is often overlooked with hydroponic growing.

Q.Enclosed please find samples of tomato leaves from early
girl and celebrity varieties. It appears that the plants may have
had some drift from 2,4-D spray. We do have tomatoes on the
plants and it seems that the plants are getting to be more
healthy looking. We are giving them a daily watering of
Miracle-Gro and hope that this will bring them out of the set
back.

We are wondering if it will be alright to eat the tomatoes
from these plants. Thanking you in advance for your help.
(Ipswich, S.D.)

A.The samples you sent definitely showed 2,4-D damage. I
am sorry, but I cannot advise you to eat the fruits from the
affected plants.

Q. Can you tell me what ails my tomatoes? I have sprayed twice
with Mancozel plant fungicide. This affects nearly all of 100
plants. It seems that the bush tomato is less affected. (Lisbon,
N.D.)

A. Your tomatoes are showing typical symptoms of phenoxy
herbicide damage. It could be the result of drift from
adjacent field or turf applications, or residual in soil or
mulch.

Q: I've read about grape tomatoes and the variety Santo or
Santa. Do you know if they are hardy for our area, and what
varieties would be recommended? (Cando,
N.D., e-mail)

A: You want to order the Santa hybrid, which matures in 55
days.

Q: I am having quite a bit of trouble with blight in my
tomatoes and potatoes. Will the addition of copper to the soil
help with the problem? I know of people in Williston that do
apply copper and it seems to help. What do you think? (Amidon,
N.D., e-mail)

A: Perception is everything, and if the copper seems to
work, then so be it. But don't over do it, or plant toxicity
will be the result. Copper IS a micro-nutrient, meaning that
very little is needed for the effect desired--20 parts per
million max. I would rather you apply the needed copper (and
other micro-nutrients) through the use of a product like
Miracid or something similar. That will reduce greatly the
chance for toxicity.

Q: I have seen a number of products used to control early and
late blight on tomatoes. These products are chlorothalonil,
Daconil and captan. The captan is in powder form, and the other
two are suspensions to be mixed with water. I have found that the
water solutions or suspensions are easier to use and seem to
cover the leaves of the plant better than a powder.
Which of these products do you recommend, and how often should an
application be made? Are there any new products on the market at
this time, and can these products be used to control apple scab
and or the apple maggot? (Faulkton, S.D., e-mail)

A: The suspensions are better for coverage, and certainly
less drift off target. These products would give some
protection against apple scab, but being fungicides, they
would do nothing for apple maggot. For the maggot you need
Sevin applied at seven- to10-day intervals beginning at the
end of June and continuing to about mid-September. This
spacing would be good for the fungicide applications on the
tomatoes as well. If the scab has already set in, don't worry
about it this year. The apples are still edible. Practice
good sanitation by cleaning everything up well this fall and
begin spraying with captan next spring as the leaves unfold.

Q: What causes dry rot on a tomato? Is there anything that can
be done to prevent the dry rot? Thanks for your help. (E-mail
reference, Bowman, N.D.)

A: Dry rot, better known as blossom end rot, is caused by
insufficient calcium being unable to reach the developing
fruit at that end. Generally there is enough calcium in the
soil, but sometimes over-zealous weed cultivating damages the
roots and the plant is unable to take up enough calcium to
transmit it to the blossom end of the tomato fruit. It also
occurs after a period of no rain or irrigation, followed by
rain and/or heavy irrigation -- a sudden surge of new growth
in tissue. It is often confined to the first tomatoes to
ripen; some cultivars are more prone to this problem. A
solution is to mulch the plants to maintain even moisture
levels and to keep from cultivating too close.